Chapter Nineteen:

October 2012

"And if I cried unto my mother
No she wasn't there, she wasn't there for me"

"Under The Water" The Pretty Reckless

As the month drew on and the weather became chillier, Heaven's stomach grew, as did Lori's. No matter how much rest Hershel told her to get, Heaven was constantly in the kitchen preserving food for the winter. The men went out almost every day in search of warm clothing and other necessities to help them survive the long, harsh winter.

Tension was thick within the group. Lori and Rick still had some kinks in their relationship to work out and Lori seemed to take it out on everyone. Her temper grew as much as her belly and Rick avoided her whenever possible.

The group worked as a unit, eager to be ready for the winter when it hit hard. The pile of blankets grew as they were either scavenged or made. A blanket of squirrel skins Heaven had slaved over covered the bed she and Daryl shared. Coats and boots and extra socks were found and handed out; Maggie even found a tiny infant single piece snowsuit. Whatever Daryl caught was halved, one part eaten for supper and the other stored.

One winter afternoon while Zoey and Rick stood watch, he noticed her scribbling in a little notebook. It wasn't the first time he had seen her jot something down but it was the first time he asked her about it. Unfamiliar with the dark haired woman, he was afraid that she was taking notes on the group to give to another larger, more dangerous group.

"What'cha writin' down?" He asked, jerking his chin to the moleskin notebook.

Zoey glanced up and smiled, snapping the book shut. "I've been keepin' track of the days since the outbreak. I also write down observations on the Walkers."

Rick was intrigued. He knew better than to judge a book by its cover and after Heaven told the group how Zoey had looked after her, Rick trusted her instantly. Lori had made snide comments about the piercings the young woman had or how she spotted the edge of some tattoo on her back. But Zoey only seemed to smile and was always eager to help the group in any way possible.

"What kinda observations?"

Zoey pursed her lips in thought, crossing her arms. Across the yard Daryl was busy digging his knife into a Walker's skull outside the gate.

"Well, before all this, I was studying to be a mortician." She began with a sigh. "When a body dies and the heart stops bumping, the blood pools down- gravity right? This causes rigor mortis- stiffening of the muscles- which wears off after about thirty-six hours. Heaven told me that that doctor you all met said the longest time before the body "woke up" was seven hours. So rigor mortis never fully wore off.

Exposed to the elements and this heat… those bodies should have become so decayed they shouldn't be able to walk. And if they're not alive and their lungs don't work then how do they smell us? Or hear us?"

Zoey shook her head, biting her lip. Rick watched her, fascinated at the woman that knew so much and could possible use her brain to solve the riddle of the world. That is, if her brain didn't become some Walker's lunch.

Across the field, Heaven was teaching Carl to make a snare. She had a craving for rabbit jerky and if they were lucky, they could catch at least two during the night. The boy was a little uneasy about trapping something similar to the Easter Bunny for a snack, but any hunting skill that Heaven taught him was a skill he needed. She had tried to teach him how to throw knives but Lori and Daryl stopped that lesson short.

After that she decided to teach him basic survival skills. What berries to eat and what berries to avoid. What leaves to use as toilet paper. The like. She was busy showing him how to tie the snare when Carl was jerked to his feet. Lori stood over them, pulling Carl to his feet. Heaven sighed deeply and stood, knowing that this conversation was going to go downhill very quickly.

"If he wants to learn skills like this he'll ask his father." Lori snapped, pushing Carl behind her. "I am his mother, not you."

"Lori, I ain't tryin' ta replace ya." Heaven tried to reason. "I'm just showin' him how ta survive. I ain't hurtin' nobody."

"Just stay away from him." Lori bit out venomously. "He's not your son, so don't treat him like it."

Heaven watched the other woman drag Carl away, the poor boy glancing back sadly. Growling, she rubbed her tightening stomach and glanced around the yard. If Lori wasn't pregnant, Heaven would have grabbed a fistful of her hair and told her how it was. She'd just have to wait until both babies were born to teach the spiteful woman a lesson.

X

"So ya had two older sisters?" Heaven asked, taking a sip of her tea.

The pair sat out on the porch, wrapped in blankets with mugs of either coffee or tea, something they had rationed for only Saturday nights. Heaven had had trouble sleeping as her abdomen grew, unable to sleep on her stomach like she wanted; she opted to lie awake for hours. Zoey offered to sit up with her and talk until the pregnant woman was ready to sleep.

"Yeah, Jade and Mary." Zoey explained, curling her fingers around the warmth of the mug. "Jade was five years older than me and Mary was four years older than me. Jade moved to New York a few years back and got married. Mary joined the Army and left for Iraq last year."

"Yer Mama?" Heaven asked innocently, setting her tea down.

"Breast cancer, she died in two-thousand-and-six." Zoey shrugged, hiding her frown behind a sip of black coffee. "You got any family?"

"Mm," Heaven wrapped the blanket tighter around her body, staring up at the starry sky. "My twin sister was killed in a hit an' run when I was seven. My Mama went ta jail when I was eighteen fer killin' my Uncle."

Zoey looked at her, shocked and a little confused. "Why?"

Heaven shrugged. "My Uncle used ta sexually abuse me. Mama found him tryin' an' beat him ta death with a crystal lamp. Daryl looked after me ever since."

"Everyone makes him out to be some redneck asshole, but he's sweet with you." The dark haired girl pointed out.

Heaven wanted to tell her that their relationship was entirely perfect. That when they had first meet, he had tried his damnest to push her away. He was afraid to let anyone in, so show anyone his scars or introduce her to his asshole father or fuck-up older brother. They fought; she hit him with her tiny fists, crying. When he found her trying to hang herself in the woods, he let down his walls; just for her.

She didn't want to tell her how her own mother treated her like an object. How her mother made her run around the neighborhood twice each morning and night, to keep her fit. Forced her into gymnastics, demanded she play three instruments, and learn six different languages. Friends and socialization didn't matter to her Mama, only studies. Martha didn't want a daughter; she wanted a doll she could dress up and make do the things she never could. No, Heaven wasn't going to describe all the ways her own mother had pushed her to suicide.

"Nah, he don't." Heaven mumbled, playing with her fingers. "That kinda thin' is hard fer him."

Zoey bumped her shoulder against Heaven's. "Tell me how you two met."

A/N: So the next chapter will tell the story of Heaven and Daryl's first meeting(s). I kinda mention it in the prologue but this'll go into more detail.

I wanted to post it tonight but i'm exhausted and i'm not feeling my best right now, so i don't have the energy to type it. But please tell me how i'm doing, i kinda need the motivation and y'all are so sweet!